Advice to new managers: don't joke about firing people • Hacker News Board

Re: Advice to new managers: don't joke about firing people

#41

Post by klyrs » Wed, Jun 10, 2020, 2:59 PM UTC

bzb3 wrote: post #15

lwall wrote: post #12

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Perhaps managers who can't see they're on shaky ground making such a joke are liable to be problematic in some other capacity.

You are right. Nothing worse than a manager with a sense of humour. That ruins companies.

Making jokes about firing subordinates shows a bad sense of humor -- it's not funny, it's making light of a power imbalance at the expense of the subordinate.

It's like when a cop makes jokes about shooting you after pulling you over for expired tabs (happened when I was a teen).

Re: Advice to new managers: don't joke about firing people

#42

Post by dudul » Wed, Jun 10, 2020, 2:59 PM UTC

kemiller2002 wrote: post #3

This is sound advice. You have a significant amount of control over people's lives as a manager, and that should be treated with a level of respect. You have no idea how people feel, and it is quite possible that someone you manage doesn't know where they stand with you. At times that is more than enough to cause them stress and even convince them to look elsewhere. Work is stressful enough, and you don't need to add…

Do you have significant amount of control? Maybe I've been lucky to be part of mostly healthy organizations, but even managers have to justify/explain decisions. Either be for termination, compensation adjustment, reassigning to a different team, etc.

I always had to document and explain why I thought an employee deserved a raise, or should not get a bonus, etc. Even as a director with ~20 reports I don't have unlimited firing power and I still need to regroup with HR when it comes to that.

Yes, of course you have some control, but it's not unchecked.

Re: Advice to new managers: don't joke about firing people

#43

Post by bananamerica » Wed, Jun 10, 2020, 2:59 PM UTC

kemiller2002 wrote: post #3

This is sound advice. You have a significant amount of control over people's lives as a manager, and that should be treated with a level of respect. You have no idea how people feel, and it is quite possible that someone you manage doesn't know where they stand with you. At times that is more than enough to cause them stress and even convince them to look elsewhere. Work is stressful enough, and you don't need to add…

Minor fix for clarity:

> If you're a manager, part of your job is to do things that make you uncomfortable

Re: Advice to new managers: don't joke about firing people

#44

Post by idoby » Wed, Jun 10, 2020, 2:59 PM UTC

So much drama. If a manager in your org can fire good-standing employees on a whim without scrutiny from the rest of the org, quit now. In any other org, go ahead and joke with your buddies, people need the icebreakers. Just maybe not more than once.

Re: Advice to new managers: don't joke about firing people

#45

Post by agensaequivocum » Wed, Jun 10, 2020, 2:59 PM UTC

Seems pretty self-evident. Reminds me of that office episode where Michael pretends to fire Pam and she reacts as any normal person would expect.

Re: Advice to new managers: don't joke about firing people

#46

Post by bzb3 » Wed, Jun 10, 2020, 2:59 PM UTC

normalnorm wrote: post #31

bzb3 wrote: post #15

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You are right. Nothing worse than a manager with a sense of humour. That ruins companies.

It is more or less universally recognized that jokes are only funny if they are punching upwards. Someone in a position of power making jokes about using that power against someone with less power is more akin to bullying.

Your manager is not your enemy. Your manager making a joke is not kicking you down, he's trying to breed camaraderie.

Re: Advice to new managers: don't joke about firing people

#47

Post by tobyhinloopen » Wed, Jun 10, 2020, 3:00 PM UTC

Also, don’t talk shit about my colleagues behind their back.

Re: Advice to new managers: don't joke about firing people

#48

Post by Insanity » Wed, Jun 10, 2020, 3:01 PM UTC

dudul wrote: post #26

It is good advice, but it is not very common for newly promoted managers to have full hiring/firing power.

This could be extended to "not make jokes about someones work / work status when you're their manager" .

Re: Advice to new managers: don't joke about firing people

#49

Post by ikeyany » Wed, Jun 10, 2020, 3:01 PM UTC

myth_drannon wrote: post #39

subhro wrote: post #5

I am really surprised one has to write a blog post about this. I am not a manager, but here is a question for managers, have you or anyone you know, joked about firing someone? In my opinion, that would be incredibly cruel and stupid.

The CEO of one of my previous companies at his birthday celebration joked at one of the employees that if he doesn't sing Happy Birthday song louder he will fire him. And this is not the worst that has come out of his mouth.

So how was working at Dunder Mifflin?

Re: Advice to new managers: don't joke about firing people

#50

Post by KingOfCoders » Wed, Jun 10, 2020, 3:01 PM UTC

If you had to fire individuals in the past or 80% of your department due to economic reasons (what to tell people if they ask 'why me?') then you wouldn't joke about it. It's not fun. Obviously not for the person 'fired' but also not for a manager - at least not for me.